What We’re Learning from Our Knitting (and Luceting):

Ta Dah! Catherine finished her Garden Arbor Shawl by Kira K Designs, a kit she got from The Natural Fiber Fair in 2015. The yarn is the Sky colorway in Bamboo from Be Sweet Yarns.

Margaret made a lucet bracelet that was a modification of the pattern that Jennifer Hansen, from Stitch Diva offered as a bonus after completing her free 7-Day Lucet Challenge. https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/38006. She used Magnetic clasps. She also tested out the KonMari method http://tidyingup.com/ of organizing all her knitting, crocheting and lucet supplies.

Brainy Thing: Shinrin Yoku (Forest Breathing)

Catherine introduces us to Shinrin Yoku the Japanese codification of a worldwide ancient custom of Forest Breathing. The phenomenon of the healing from forest is getting a lot of research interest and an American study shows that walks in nature can help children with ADD and ADHD. Some resources:

Behind the Redwood Curtain:

Breaking news (at least relatively from us) — Redwood trees are best at fixing oxygen– converting Carbon Dioxide into Oxygen in the process of photosynthesis therefore they can be helpful resources in battling Global Warming.

Catherine found what she wanted to do with her Great Adirondack Yarn Company’s Well Dressed Sheep (cotton/rayon/metallic in chunky weight) in the Beach House colorway. She’s adapting a border design “Cabled Lace” from Leisure Arts’s 50 Fabulous Borders by Rita Weiss that she found at the Foggy Bottoms Yarn Store in Ferndale.

She also talks about making the Humboldt Squid, mythically known as the Kracken.

Inspired by that project, she finished up a jellyfish she’s been working on for awhile.

Studies are showing that knitting and other similar activities can cut the risk of age related dementia and Alzheimer’s disease although most reports are anecdotal and scientists say more studies need to be done.